SPS-Related Capacity Evaluation Tools - Standards and Trade ...

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Introduction The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) has prepared this publication in accordance with its mandate to act as a vehicle for coordination among technical cooperation providers. The purpose is to share information on sector-specific and cross-cutting tools to assess capacity in the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) area, that have been developed or are under development by international organizations, as well as related methodologies and approaches. The publication is based on information that was initially presented to a workshop on SPS-related capacity evaluation tools, which was organized by the STDF on 31 March 2008 1 , as well as additional contributions from the organizations concerned and first published in 2009. Numerous revisions and updates have been made to a number of the evaluation tools, and as such this second edition presents information on the modified tools and/or further progress made by the organizations in carrying out SPSrelated capacity evaluations. The STDF workshop held in 2008 highlighted the importance of identifying and prioritizing needs as an initial step in the process of SPS-related capacity building. Participants recognized that as the standards of the three international standard setting bodies – the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) – are recognized by the SPS Agreement, it is valuable for Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to apply the evaluation tools of these organizations as appropriate to the particular SPS mandate. Participants also noted that other organizations are involved in SPS capacity building and have developed accompanying assessment tools. This situation raises risks of differences or duplication in the assessment of SPS-related needs, as well as in the design and implementation of capacity building programmes and activities. For international trade, the standards of the three international standard setting bodies are of primary importance and the capacities of WTO Members should be assessed according to these standards. Participants further acknowledged that a large amount of data is being generated through capacity evaluations focused on specific and/or cross-cutting aspects of SPS capacity at the country level. The workshop concluded that compilation and exchange of the findings has been limited and little attention has been given to monitoring the impact of assessments in generating results. The first publication and this second edition are steps aimed at addressing this concern. The workshop and this publication form part of a larger effort by the STDF to enhance access to information about SPS-related capacity assessment tools and promote coordination in the design and application of such tools. In parallel, the STDF aims to: (i) disseminate available information on planned and completed SPS-related capacity evaluations, including their findings and results; and (ii) facilitate discussion among concerned stakeholders to ensure greater synergies in the development and use of these tools in the future, and contribute towards the use of these tools as part of an overall strategy for SPS-related capacity building. By providing an overview of existing SPS-related capacity assessment tools and their practical application at the country level, the first objective of the publication is to inform developing countries about the range of tools, which could be used to evaluate their SPS-related capacity needs, and offer guidance on the selection of which tool for which purpose. An important second objective is to enhance coordination among international organizations and others in the further development and use of such tools. The capacity evaluation tools presented here are grouped into three broad categories, as presented at the 2008 workshop: i. sector-specific tools that look exclusively at a particular thematic area within SPS; ii. cross-cutting tools that look at the SPS system as a whole; and iii. related methodologies and approaches that treat one aspect of SPS in a more general setting. 1 Complete information about this workshop including the agenda, presentations, background papers, podcasts of some sessions, workshop report, etc. are available on the SPS gateway of the WTO website (available at: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/ wkshop_march08_e/wkshop_march08_e.htm). An Overview of Tools Developed by International Organizations 1
Some of these tools have been tried and tested for some time. For instance, the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) tool of the IPPC was first produced in 1999 and has been applied in more than 80 countries. Similarly, the Tool for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services, developed by the OIE, has been used in more than 90 countries, with several other evaluations in the pipeline. Some tools, such as the Guide to Assess Biosecurity Capacity, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are more recent. Finally, other tools presented here, such as the Diagnostic Tool for Analysis and Assessment of Trade and Health of the World Health Organization (WHO), are still under development. 2 SPS-Related Capacity Evaluation Tools
Page 1 and 2: Standards and Trade Development Fac
Page 3 and 4: 2 nd Edition ©WTO - May 2011 ISBN:
Page 5 and 6: Abbreviations CAC Codex Alimentariu
Page 10 and 11: TABLE 1. Overview of SPS-related Ca
Page 12 and 13: Countries in which the FAO Quick Gu
Page 14 and 15: • The results of the process can
Page 16 and 17: At the request of a beneficiary cou
Page 18 and 19: • Uganda • United Arab Emirates
Page 20 and 21: • Financial resources for improvi
Page 22 and 23: The PCE comprises: (i) thirteen mod
Page 24 and 25: IICA Performance, Vision, Strategy
Page 26 and 27: FAO Guide to Assess Biosecurity Cap
Page 28 and 29: IICA Performance, Vision, Strategy
Page 30 and 31: ?What have been the experiences ? E
Page 32 and 33: • Nepal • Niger • Nigeria •
Page 34 and 35: National Capacity Self Assessment (
Page 36: WHO Diagnostic Tool for Analysis an

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